Personal trainers aren't just for celebrities and the super rich. Women's Editor Christen Pears discovers the benefits

MY arms are wobbling and, as I lower my body into a press-up, I can feel the muscles burning. If I were working out on my own, I would probably be giving up round about now, but this time there's someone to encourage me. Somehow, I manage to push myself back up and even do a few more.

I like to think I'm quite fit - a couple of sessions at the gym each week, a regular spinning class and the odd game of squash - but just an hour with a personal trainer shows me I'm nowhere near my limits. Not only do I receive the encouragement and motivation to keep me going, I know I'm doing each exercise properly under the eagle eye of personal trainer Sonny Gill.

Along with Lucy Hughes and Tony Kwok, Sonny is one third of One To One fitness training, a new Darlington-based venture. The trio already work as personal trainers at Bannatynes in the town but they want to bring the service to people who don't normally go to a gym

"The general population is unfit and most of them don't know what to do about it. It's a big thing for someone to walk into a gym for the first time. They think everyone's going to be in lycra and that can be very intimidating," says Sonny.

"The kind of people who join a gym are going to do it anyway but we want to get people into exercise who have never done it before. It's all about giving them that little push they need. Personal training is massive in America and in the South-East and it isn't just celebrities who have trainers. Ordinary people can benefit too."

The One To One instructors visit you at home so even if you're feeling nervous, you can take comfort from the fact you're working out in your own living room, with your own music on the CD player. And of course there aren't dozens of people watching as you wheeze on the treadmill, your face turning redder by the second and your legs about to buckle under you.

Sonny arrives at my front door carrying a step, mat, dumbells and a giant exercise ball. It may not seem much but it's everything I need for my workout. Before we start, we move the sofa out of the way and I have to fill in a form with information about my lifestyle, exercise and diet, followed by a body fat analysis. Regular clients are given a full health check, comprising blood pressure, body fat percentage, body weight. The trainers use the results to identify strengths and weaknesses and devise the most effective programme.

Sessions are tailored to your needs, whether that's cardio work, conditioning, or just going out for a run or a bike ride. I have a sore knee so Sonny devises exercises that don't put too much pressure on the joint.

I want to concentrate on building muscle tone and, after a few gentle warm-up exercises, things start to get more difficult. In fact, after quarter of an hour my legs feel like jelly but, with Sonny's encouragement, I manage to keep going. He isn't like an army PT instructor, barking orders, as I'd feared. He's much more positive, telling me I can do one more lunge or another ten crunches - and I do.

"People do tend to lose motivation quite quickly when it comes to exercise but we're with them every step. We give them one to one attention, which encourages them but it also means they're less likely to wimp out," he says.

I certainly don't want to wimp out and although I'm hurting, it's only after he leaves that I collapse in a heap of the sofa. I'm tired but I know I've had a really good work out.

All three instructors are also trained in body massage, which complements the exercise. It's a brilliant way to relax and soothe your aching muscles. It also helps drain lactic acid and other waste fluids that build up during exercise and can cause soreness the next day. Sonny recommends two sessions a week but even one can make a difference. As you progress and improve, the trainers alter your programme accordingly, to make sure you're working at your full potential.

"It isn't just about doing a bit of exercise," says Sonny. "It's about working in partnership with people to help them achieve the body they want. When people build up fitness and strength, they start to feel better in themselves and that changes their lifestyle too."

l A hour's personal training session with a One to One instructor costs £20. Full body massage lasts an hour and costs £25. For more information or a free consultation, call 07817 929395.